The Athens Drive fall track and field team just finished the indoor season. The team grew in size, from having seven members in 2015 to 95 members at the start of the 2016 fall season.
“With that increase in participants we have been capable of raising more money for the program, taking more athletes to meets and building a stronger program for the future,” said Logan Caldwell, coach.
Track and field has many different running, jumping and throwing events, run in a certain order. Athletes are allowed to compete in four events per meet. The events consist of the 4x800m relay, the 3200m, 1600m, 800m, 4x400m relay, 200m, 4x200m relay, 100m, 4x100m relay, 110m hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot put and discus.
The track and field team consists of many athletes who have broke person or school records, qualifying for the championship meets. Nia Judkins, junior, broke her own personal record in the 55m dash, stopping the clock at 7.19 seconds to qualify for the state and national meets at the Eastern High School Challenge in Chapel Hill.
“I feel pretty good about my performance for indoor,” said Judkins “Was ranked 6th in North Carolina in the 55m and placed 9th at States this past weekend, so not too bad.”
Brandon Ray broke the school record in the men’s 55m with a time of 6.36 seconds, qualifying for states and nationals. Also qualifying for states was Khadeavis Snead, senior, who qualified in the high jump, consistently jumping at six feet and two inches, according to Caldwell. Blake Humphries also had a strong performance in the 500m dash, breaking the school record with a time of 1:08:30.
“The men’s 4x400m relay team has also improved throughout the season and will be competing at the state meet on Saturday as well,” said Caldwell. “This team consists of Eli Howell, CJ Murphy, Blake Humphries, Khadeavis Snead and Michael O’Leary.”
The ADHS track and field team also hosted its first “polar bear” meet during the indoor season this year. A “polar bear” meet is an indoor track meet run on an outdoor track.
“The entire SWAC conference was here at Athens competing and it was an awesome way to kick off our home meet schedule. The weather was terrific too, 75 degrees and sunny… not your typical polar bear conditions,” said Caldwell.
The state indoor track meet is being held on February 11 in Winston Salem at the JDL FastTrack. This is the only championship meet for track since there are no conference or regional meets. The nationals for indoor track will take place a month later in New York. Currently, Ray and Judkins are the only two athletes that will be traveling up to New York to attend this meet.
